Weekly Digest

NASN news & updates

July 22, 2021

President's Message

NASN places a priority on equitable, in person learning, located in healthy and safe school environments. See NASN's Statement on Schools Providing In-person Learning which includes support for the AAP COVID-19 Guidance for Safe Schools recommendation for universal masking in schools (unless medical or developmental conditions prohibit use) given the current reality that a number of students are not yet eligible for COVID-19 vaccination.

School nurses across the country have played critical roles in reopening schools and helping to keep students safe, healthy, and ready to learn. As schools look to make data and science driven decisions for the coming school year, school nurses' experience and expertise are critical in interprofessional and collaborative planning and implementation of COVID-19 prevention strategies.

Linda Mendonça, DNP, RN, PHNA-BC, NCSN, FNASN

NASN President

BETTER HEALTH. BETTER LEARNING. ™

NASN News and Highlights

School Nurse Tip Sheet: Enhancing Staff and Teacher Well-Being

Staff and teachers’ well-being is important as schools transition back to in-person learning. School nurses can help assist with this by implementing the suggestions in this tip sheet. Kaiser Permanente has collaborated with over 30 national school health organizations to create the “Planning for the Next Normal at School: Keeping students, staff, and families safe and healthy” playbook which provides evidence-based guidance to adapting to school life after the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Data Collection/Every Student Counts!

Data collection looks different due to the COVID-19 pandemic compared to other years. Check out NASN’s Data Collection page for resources and advice on collecting data to help tell your data story.

What Are You Hearing About COVID-19 Vaccines?

School nurses play a vital role in administering the COVID-19 vaccines and explaining their benefits, safety, and efficacy. We want to know what your students, family, and friends are telling you and asking you about the vaccines.

ANA asks that you please take 5 minutes and complete the second COVID-19 Vaccine Survey. Your input will help build an understanding of the questions and concerns raised by patients, family, and friends. Responses will be used to develop relevant tools and resources that assist you in responding to your patients and communities.

COVID-19 Updates

Vaccine Confidence Among Healthcare Professionals and Local Vaccine Rollout

Learn ways to increase vaccine confidence among healthcare professionals and how two counties launched COVID-19 vaccination efforts, and earn free CE through this CDC-sponsored webinar:

Session Objectives:

Explain the concept of vaccine confidence.
Identify strategies to effectively increase vaccine confidence.
Describe how partnerships contribute to the success of a mass vaccination operation.

NEW COVID-19 Resources

New Return to School Guidance from AAP. As the next school year begins, there needs to be a continued focus on keeping students safe and in school.
New CDC Guidance for K-12 Schools: Strategies to reduce the spread on COVID-19 in schools and maintain safe operations includes an updated science brief for the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in schools.
CDC COVID-19 Viral Testing Tool is an interactive web tool designed to help both healthcare providers and individuals understand COVID-19 testing options.

Additional COVID-19 Resources

NASN's COVID-19 Interactive Tools

Can I Send My Student to School: Designed for school nurses to share with families, this interactive tool is based on CDC COVID-19 guidance and designed to guide families through assessing when their child should stay home from school.

How to Manage Difficult Conversations: A quick micro-burst of learning, this interactive module teaches school nurses a simple formula to use to respond effectively to challenging conversations.

COVID-19 and Students, Frequently Asked Questions: A resource designed to answer some questions families may have about students' health during COVID-19 and to support families with links to find additional resources.

Improving School Community and Student Health

Build Your Skills to Talk About Adolescent Sexual Health

Advocates for Youth knows that clinicians often face challenges meeting the sexual health needs of their adolescent patients. School nurses helped them develop a simulated environment (classroom, health care exam room, and office) where professionals can practice with youth avatars using short scenarios and support from an instructional coach, so they can quickly learn and master the skills they need to be effective. Sign up to try it here!

Keeping Safe During Extreme Heat

School nurses provide heat safety information for communities. Access Resources available to recognize and prepare for extreme heat.

Opportunities & Networking

Immunization Resources for Nursing Faculty

NASN is part of a Nursing Education Experts Workgroup, convened by the Association for Prevention Teaching and Research & the CDC. Educators may find the resources from the Immunization Resources for Undergraduate Nursing project useful as you prepare course materials to educate students about immunizations - a very important topic for keeping students healthy as they return to school.

Mark Your Calendar

Strategies to Support the Return to School for School-aged Children Town Hall

July 27, 7-8 PM ET

The focus of the town hall is to provide strategies for vaccine compliance of routine vaccinations in students, share science-based resources for COVID-19 vaccines, improve infection control programs in schools, and encourage COVID-19 vaccine administration in youth and nurses. Free. No CNE Provided.

NASN Calendar of Events

This calendar includes upcoming events hosted by NASN and NASN affiliate school nurse organizations. Access the calendar.

NASN CALENDAR

National Health Observances Calendar

This calendar lists special days, weeks, or months dedicated to raising awareness about important health topics. Access the 2021 calendar.

OBSERVANCES CALENDAR

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